Chapter VII, Reunion
by cyan thou
Summary: Feelings of hurt and betrayal cause Minako to re-examine the values she wishes to uphold as Sailor Venus. Can she live up to the immaculate ideals of heroism or is she just a vindictive vigilante in disguise?


**- VII -**

**Reunion**

**M**ina took the next few weeks at a much slower pace. She patrolled the streets at night only on a few more occasions as she needed to make sure she was in peak condition for the night of the concert. Either way, even if she had wanted to, it was difficult to sneak away from Luna, whom she knew would object to her excursions. However, Mina did not want to disappoint her guardian. She had to train on her own for now.

As the days went by and the concert date drew closer and closer, Mina remained irate as ever with the CEO that had caused her so much harm. Luna knew nothing of the fortuitous email nor Mina's intent to take the dastard's life. It was going to be a secret operation. Even if it somehow got out later, she was convinced that her actions would be justified.

When Alaska Nebraska's concert finally arrived, Mina could not believe the intense media hype. The British teen starlet had only made her debut half a year ago and already she was a worldwide phenomenon. Evidently, the market research that had gone into the careful crafting her image had been a success. Mina knew that the execs were taking in cash faster than ever before. The marketing push for this new sensation had swiftly replaced the adverts for Mina's previous role. _Codename: Sailor V_ was but a faint memory in the collective conscience. _Sailor V_ toys, manga, collectibles, clothing, video games, CDs, DVDs and Blu-Ray Discs were hastily pulled off shelves to make room for this new starlet. It did nothing for one's ego to walk into a store and find yourself in the discount bin along with other has-beens.

For tonight, Mina decided it would be best to play the part of a VIP so as to not arouse suspicion backstage by looking out of place. She showed up at the designated meeting spot wearing very fashionable clothes as was her wont. Her stylish achromatic outfit was modest and her black and white houndstooth hat provided a decent amount of facial coverage, just in case she needed to avert someone's attention. She also carried a large, stylish grey Coach purse that contained her school uniform, providing a change of outfit just incase she needed to make a quick exit and blend in to the crowds. _Rule #2 – always have back up plan_. Mina had learned this the hard way.

As usual, the streets were crowded. Much to the disappointment of motorists, their noisy cars worked their way up the street at the same speed as the mass of individuals pacing along the sidewalk. The continuous flow of people was only interrupted by gawking tourists who clumsily navigated the space behind their cameras' viewfinders.

Mina teetered over the edge of the sidewalk, the tips of her feet eagerly dancing in mid-air as she kept a watchful eye for a limousine. She gazed at her expensive watch with excitement. Jim had always punctually followed through with his promises. Somehow, when she was through with her plans for tonight, she would make it up to him.

After a while of anxious waiting, a sleek, black limousine pulled up around the corner. It approached slowly and pulled up precisely in front on Mina. The chauffeur, an elderly man neatly dressed in a black uniform and matching pilot's cap, stepped out.

"Ms. Aino, I presume?" he asked in a gentle voice.

"Yes."

"Step right in," he motioned, opening the rear door for her.

"Thank you." Mina made her way into the gorgeous, grey interior of the limo and took a seat, the chauffeur firmly closing the door behind her. The inside was very spacious and smelled of fine leather. When _Sailor V_ was at its peak, Mina's limousine was always packed. Friends, agents, managers, bodyguards – all of them would squeeze together to occupy the spaces next to her. In contrast to those times, the present vacancy of the limo was undeniable. Mina felt strange sitting in there all by herself.

The ride to the Tokyo Dome was relatively short. She had been too busy mentally rehearsing the plan to notice sun begin its descent. Her thoughts were interrupted only when the limo made its way around the massive concert venue and she sorrowfully gazed upon the huge number of fans making their way into the venue. They had been her fans at one time. It was a painful reminder of her removal from the spotlight as well as the very reason for her trip here today. She was on a mission.

The limo pulled up into the back of the venue. The chauffeur flashed his clearance pass and was granted access beyond the security checkpoint. He stationed the limo right by the rear entrance. As it drew to a stop, Mina could make out two gigantic security officers, whose gazes were directed slightly upward, standing by the door. Their musculature and overall girth was intimidating.

_What if the Dark Kingdom monsters look like this?_ "Gotta keep it cool," Mina she quietly reminded herself and shook that worrisome though away as the chauffeur gently opened her door. Mina gracefully stepped out of the luxury vehicle as she had done many times before as an international sensation. However, this time there was no entourage or barrage of paparazzi to meet her. The absence of camera flashes was a clear indicator of her career's demise. Now, fans crowded behind barricades, hoping for a glimpse of their new idol before she entered into the venue. Mina walked up the bouncers in solitude, not being able to believe how quickly she had been erased from the public consciousness.

The security officers, who were wearing shades, looked down at Mina as she approached. She stopped in front of them, unsure of what to do. Would her plans be thwarted right here?

One of them spoke after a short pause. "Welcome, Ms. Aino. Come right in." It was disheartening that the only people to recognize her thus far tonight were paid to be aware of her presence. However, when the two sentries moved aside to let her pass, she simply smiled with relief and proceeded indoors.

It felt so strange to be backstage at a stadium after so long. It was a familiar sensation and she wondered how she had even forgotten about it. Techies rushed back and forth with expensive audio equipment. Other people in suits bustled about, making last minute deals and preparations on their cell phones. The reverb from the pounding bass echoed in the halls, the warm up show was already underway.

Although Jim had not provided Mina with any specific details of the CEO's whereabouts, she had a good idea of where to find him. After all, she had performed at the Tokyo Dome several times before and she had even visited a Japanese singing icon backstage a while back. Mina remembered the fun times she had with her friend, along with her two bodyguards. One, a meekly looking guy who was skillfully trained in the martial arts by her other body guard, a drunken kung fu master from China. They were quite the trio who came by once a year, every year, without fail.

Mina cast aside those memories and rushed through the halls at a brisk pace. This was her one opportunity and she could not blow it. She found the stairs and headed up toward the executive suites. She was certain that she would find her target somewhere up there.

The stairs were brightly light with fluorescent lights that hummed a monotonous tune. Mina raced up the flights of stairs as fast as she could. There were only had a few more flights to go before she would be virtually at the door of the man who was responsible for her public humiliation. She had eagerly anticipated this moment and was becoming jittery with excitement over the thought of retribution. Tonight would be her night.

As she reached the penultimate landing, a sudden shock sent her reeling back up against the wall. At first she thought it was a tremor, but the accompanying 'boom' convinced her otherwise. The panicked screams that followed affirmed her assumption – a massive explosion had rocked the stadium.

Within moments, the door at the top of the stairwell slammed open.

"FIRE! FIRE!"

"Run!"

A deluge of dust-covered bodies chaotically shoved against one another competing to go down the stairs and escape the disaster. A few caring individuals assisted the wounded, who were visibly wounded by the blast and covered in blood.

_Shit! Not now!_ Mina protested. This was supposed to be her moment of revenge. This would ruin it for sure. She frantically scanned the faces of everyone who went by at make sure her target did not escape amidst the chaos. The CEO was nowhere to be seen. Determined to find him, Mina tried to push against the crowd, but could not carve a way through their stampede.

_Damn it! I'm stuck here 'til these people make it out. _A second thereafter, she suddenly felt a sense of overwhelming dread – in her zealousness, she had forgotten about Jim. She could not forgive herself if he died here because of her negligent bloodlust. Mina felt guilty for her selfishness and reminded herself that a hero always had to put aside their desires in favour of the good of the public.

The rush of bewildered bodies eventually passed and Mina was free to resume her ascension. She exited the stairwell into a dimly lit hallway. The main lights had been blown out and the emergency lights barely provided any actual visibility. The orange glow of interspersed fires illuminated random spots along the darkened corridor. Thankfully, she knew which direction to go. Otherwise, she would be completely lost in this darkness.

Mina hurried through the hallways as best as she could and eventually reached a pair of thick wooden doors. One of them had fallen off its hinge and hung awkwardly at an angle. She pried open the other door to the executive suite but found it completely empty. Scanning the room, she noticed that the one wall that was made entirely of glass had mostly shattered. She neared the gaping hole in the glass wall that overlooked the entire interior of the venue. In the short-lived light cast by brief sparks of electricity that rained down from the rigging, Mina could see that the blast had collapsed the wall adjacent to the stage, drowning it in a cascade of lights, rigging and other debris. She could hear authoritative shouts as security hastily ordered panicking concertgoers out of the building before the air-supported roof of the dome caved in entirely.

The destruction to the facility was immense and unbelievable. Mina's concentration was broken by an odd sound. She listened carefully, hoping that it would repeat itself. She quietly walked back toward the hallway. The noise came again and she discerned that it was a muffled cry for help. It was distinctively masculine.

"Jim! Is that you? Where are you?" Mina cried out. The muffled scream resounded once again but she had difficulties in pinpointing its origin. She carefully traversed the dark hallway, fearful of tripping over debris. The dust kicked up by the fallen rubble further complicated her search for the stranded victim. Combined with the smoke from the fires and dim lighting, visibility was extremely low. Mina rubbed her eyes, trying to do calm the burning irritation caused by the high concentration of pollutants in the air.

Mina leaned against the wall for support while she coughed violently for a few moments. She had to find this person in trouble and get out soon before she suffocated. Mina got on all fours to avoid excessively inhaling the smoke and resumed her search. She called out again, hoping for another response. It came, and then she knew that the person was trapped in the room next to her. Determined to be the hero and save the stranded victim, she turned the corner, hoping to find an entrance to the room. Unfortunately, a fire raged from one of the burst pipes overhead, generating an intense heat. There was no way she could hastily dash through it unharmed. She turned back around, attempting to find another route as this part of the hallway was completely inaccessible.

Mina made a roundabout entrance to the room on the other side by turning the corner and smashing through an opaque window at waist level with a chunk of debris. She cleared the edge of glass and hopped over the ledge. Immediately, she noticed the collapsed ceiling at the opposite end of the room, blocking the door altogether. An arm waved wildly from bellow the debris. Based on its positioning, the individual was laying face down. It appears that the person had been stranded while attempting to make their exit. Mina noticed there was a pool of blood running out from the debris. Some part of them had been crushed. It did not take a doctor to diagnose that they had a serious injury.

"Jim, I'm here to help you! Give me a minute!" Mina yelled reassuringly.

The voice replied back but even at close proximity, Mina could not make out what it was saying. Mina attempted to move the debris aside but it was too heavy to lift. The only solution to her problem was quite clear.

"Venus! Power!" Mina cried with conviction. A dazzling display of bright yellow light and orange scintillations danced upward around her body and replaced her civilian clothes and with her Senshi outfit. Fully transformed, Mina knew she could free the individual from under the rubble. During her outings, she had become accustomed to the increased strength the suit provided. Although it was taxing, she slowly removed the debris one piece at a time, working on freeing the person's lower body first. She believed she could pry them out by pulling on their legs once she managed to work her way up to the person's torso.

"Hold on. I'm going to pull you out now," she prepared the victim. She gripped onto the man's ankles, pulled hard and slowly dislodged the man out from under the rubble. Mina lost her balance as he became entirely free and fell on her behind. She watched as the man slowly worked himself up onto all fours. He coughed vehemently, spitting up a mixture of blood, bile and saliva.

"Jim!" Mina cried out with joy, getting back up onto her feet. She walked toward him to help him onto his feet. She realized, however, that the man was not Jim. She simply had imagined it to be his voice. The man got up and she immediately recognized him. It was the dastardly CEO who had terminated her contract and ended her entire career. Mina was furious – had she known it was he and not Jim who had been trapped, she would have left him to die.

"Thank you," he said, checking for injuries. He looked up at the attractive figure in front of him, her immaculate uniform and attractive features seemingly out of place amidst the dirt and ugliness of the moment. "Who are you?"

"Figures. I didn't expect you to remember me, you scumbag. I was only ever a tool for your corporate money-making machine, after all."

"Wait – Minako? Sailor V? Is that you?"

Mina contemplated her response for a second, realizing that she had already inadvertently revealed her identity in her rage. "No," she replied, "Sailor V is dead."

Her answer did not even register with him. "What're you doing here?" He had not thought of Mina ever since the end of the trial. He had been too busy amassing more wealth to be concerned with her whereabouts.

"Unfortunately, saving your ass," she said, already angry for having saved his life. "Where's Jim?"

"Jim?" he cocked his head back. " Why?"

"Just tell me, dammit!"

"He's not here. I fired him two days ago. Can you believe the bastard wanted days off to stay back in England because his daughter was sick? I have no use for a man like that. That's not the attitude of someone who wants to amass a fortune!" he criticized. Remembering the thought of money, the CEO quickly turned to the rubble. "Jubei!" he cried out with panic. He repeated his call but there was no response. The CEO desperately got onto his knees and helplessly clawed at the debris. The blood that Mina had mistakenly assumed was from the CEO must have been from this other individual.

"He's dead," she said. "There's no way he's still alive after all that blood loss, much less the weight of that rubble on top of him," she stated with a distanced objectivity.

"It's not him that I'm concerned about, you has-been actress!" he venomously retorted. "He's got the damned contract! It's worth $245 million US! You have any idea how much you can do with that kind of scratch?"

Mina was utterly repulsed by his greed. "You're disgusting, you know that?" she asked with an obvious disdain for him. The words did not faze him at all. He was scrupulous and shallow but others' criticisms of him were wasted breath, regardless of their veracity. "We need to get out of here now. If we don't die in any secondary explosions, we're bound to die of smoke inhalation," Mina ordered.

"I'm not leaving without that contract!" the CEO yelled, still frantically trying to remove the fallen ceiling from the other executive.

"No. We're going," Mina resounded.

The CEO turned to face her, his expensive Versace suit noticeably tattered in the dim light. "You never called the shots, Minako. Not then and not now." He continued to superficially scratch away at the debris once again in a vain attempt to get to the corpse of his signee.

"Sorry, but that's changed!" She walked up to the CEO from behind and punched him across his face when he turned to face her. The strike was extremely cathartic. "Damn!" Mina wriggled her fingers. "That felt good!"

As Mina looked down at the CEO's, old memories and feelings of pain slowly resurfaced. She remembered the bitterness of the sex tape scandal and how it had destroyed her entire career and personal life. The drudgery of the sham legal proceedings that had dragged her name and reputation through the London mud. That was a lot of mud to go through given that it never stopped raining in England.

The CEO shook his head, attempting to regain his wits. Mina continued, "I came here to kill you for what you did to me. Don't doubt for a moment that I wouldn't be justified in doing it, either," she dragged him up onto his feet and tossed him violently against the wall. The CEO, stripped of his connections, attorneys and corporate powers seemed like nothing but a frail, withered old man. She was poised to strike.

"Fine. Just do it then," he gave in, knowing that he had formulated his own undoing. She blocked the only exit and he was entirely at her mercy. He could not even hope to win against her in a fight.

Mina felt the surge of adrenaline course through her body. The moment of revenge was finally at hand. A sweet taste seemed to gently dab her lips and tongue. _So this is what it feels like…_ However, in all of her fantasizing about this instance, she had overlooked her willingness to follow through with premeditated murder. It was a soothing fantasy, but what about the consequences? Was she a heroine or a vigilante? Was it possible to be both? Somehow, she felt that she could not reconcile the two. They felt mutually exclusive – two irreversible courses. Despite the gruelling battles she had already endured, Mina was still idealistic and wanted to heroically save the world. She knew that movies and manga had deceived her, but she still clung to their fantasies. Sometimes those are the only ideals to guide our actions.

Perhaps Mina had been in show business for too long or perhaps her identity as a movie star was too ingrained in her. All she knew that the archetypal hero still appealed to her. She had a nagging sensation that becoming a vigilante would forever prevent her from obtaining that goal. When she imagined saving the world, she wanted to be idolized for her deeds, not shunned.

Realizing that her following actions would define her forever, she ultimately made her choice. She coiled back her arm and shot a concentrated beam of energy directly at the CEO. It traversed his right shoulder, piercing through the flesh on either side. Mina had practiced this shot many times over and with a subtle motion of her fingers, caused the end that stuck out from the CEO's backside to split into a tip with multiple protruding legs. Mina solidified the beam into a lightweight but highly durable chain and with a forceful yank, the legs dug into the CEO and sent him reeling forth from the force of the pull. As he lumbered forward, Mina struck him with a fierce punch and dropped him like a stone, causing him to topple to the floor with a deadening 'thud.' He was definitively knocked out this time.

"Lucky for you that I stand for something much better now," she said calmly as she dissolved the chain into nothing at her will. She turned around to pick up the CEO and was startled by the silhouette of someone watching her through the makeshift entrance that she had created. The figure was hauntingly still.

"Who's there?" Mina demanded, masking her fear behind the boldness of her voice. However, the figure took off silently in a rush. "Wait! Dammit!" Mina dashed toward the window but by the time she reached and peered over the ledge, the mysterious figure had vanished into the darkness of the hallway. She squinted for a moment and caught one final glimpse of it again as it passed under an emergency light. It was an average height man with short blonde hair. He wore a grey business suit and brown shoes. Stepping out from the faint glow of the emergency lights, he disappeared once again. His footsteps remained, however, as they echoed from down the hallway until he eventually smashed through a set of metal doors that closed automatically behind him with a loud, metallic 'clang.'

"I need to get the fuck out of here," Mina hurried herself, uneasy after that eerie encounter. A perturbing shiver iced its way down her spine. It was paralyzing. However, fumes were building up and Mina already had a hard enough time breathing as it was. If she did not move, she would die along with the CEO.

Mina heaved the CEO onto her shoulder, his arms hanging limply down over her back. She made her way back to the entrance she had created and peaked out to make sure the passage was empty. The hallways were eerily silent. Being afraid of the dark was seen as a puerile fear, but really, who could honestly say they felt completely safe enveloped by darkness?

Mina hastily made her way toward the same stairwell that she had used earlier. Unfortunately, it was now filled with thick, putrid smoke.

"Oh, for fuck's sake…" the heroine muttered. _Rule #3 – don't expect things to go smoothly_.

She backtracked to find a room with a window, knowing that she needed to find another exit quickly. The distal rooms would be the safest bet and so she headed to the outermost hallway. Thankfully, evacuees left their doors wide open in their haste. The light from the setting sun filtered into the hallway, illuminating flecks of pollutants in the air as they danced about.

Mina hurried to one of the open rooms, immediately thrusting her hand forward as she crossed the threshold. She released a widely-dispersed beam of energy that smashed the large window across the room with force, sending shards of glass flying out onto the pavement below. Mina stepped up the ledge, bits of glass crackling below her feet. She saw emergency response teams were just arriving, ambulances and fire trucks snaking their way around traffic and parked cars.

A strong wind blew in, rustling Mina's hair and skirt. She was suddenly struck by the realization of their altitude. Were she not up at the edge of the window, she could have sworn she was only a short height above ground level. There was only one shot at this escape. Any misstep and it would be a long fall down to the concrete pavement below. Unlike on the _Codename: Sailor V_ set, if something failed, there were no retakes. Movies and TV were so misleading.

Mina turned to face the interior of the room and shot another beam into the wall, transmuting it into a chain that became safely anchored into the wall. She wrapped it around her wrist multiple times and with one deep breath, eased herself out of the room with the CEO still on her shoulders. Mina carefully rappelled down the side of the Tokyo Dome, elongating the chain as she descended. However, it was slowly cutting deeper into her flesh and the pain was challenging her resolve. She ignored the physical feedback, instead focusing on the surreality of the situation. She was quixotically saving the life of the one man who had ruined her while a team of emergency crews were already organizing themselves immediately below, anticipating her descent. Once again, she was at the center of attention.

The arms of the fire fighters were outstretched, ready to assist Mina in her final steps down the side of the venue. She was covered in dirt and soot, less than the ideally immaculate heroine, but she had succeeded nevertheless. She reached the ground with a sigh of relief and unloaded the CEO to the medics who were surprised by his weight given how easily she had managed to carry him.

The medics laid the CEO down on the floor. The diagnosed his condition very quickly.

"Minor trauma to the face. Some bruising and swelling."

"Do you know what happened to this man?" one of them asked Mina.

"I think he fell," she replied. It was not a convincing lie but she was sure they would not question it.

One of them turned to Mina. "This man is very lucky," he told Mina. "Our crews can't get in at the moment on account of the fire and smoke. He likely would have died of smoke inhalation. You just saved this man's life."

"That's good to know," she said with deep ambivalence. Although she was now the proverbial 'good guy,' it had come at the cost of the satiating sense of revenge. She had been so close. The delicious dew that had thinly covered her taste buds had since vanished. This was a bittersweet rite of passage. _Rule #4 – the good of the public always comes first_.

Mina shook the chain gently and it dissolved into glittering dust that was carried away by the wind.

"What the hell?" one of the medics remarked, clearly perplexed by the vanishing rope. Mina rubbed her wrist, soothing out the pain from where it had dug into her, ignoring the remark.

"Just who are you?"

Mina looked up from her soothing rubbing and paused for a brief moment before responding. "I'm Sailor Venus," she replied and calmly walked away from the chaos of the scene as a fresh wave of firefighters noisily arrived at the scene and stormed the building. All suited up in their bulky gear, they raced around her, carrying thick hoses and equipment. As the mysterious blonde disappeared between their ranks, the medics, still hunched over the CEO, were left to ponder the presence of the mysterious and heroic blonde girl in orange and white outfit.


End file.
